The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-10
CHAPTER III.

REGINALD CARDUS, ESQ, MISANTHROPE.
When Mr.. Cardus left the sitting room,
where he had been talking to Ernest, he
passed down passage in the rambling old
house which led him into a court yard. On
the further side of the yard, which was
walled in, stood neat red brick building one
story high, consisting of two rooms and pas
sage. On to this building were attached a
series of low greenhouses, and against the
wall at the further end of these houses was a
lean-to in which stood the boiler that sup
piled the pipes with hot water. The little red
brick building was Mr. Cardus office, for he
was a lawyer by profession; the long tail Of
glass behind it were his orchid houses, for
orchid growing was his sole amusement. The
tout ensemble, office and orchid houses,
seemed curiously out of place in the gray
and ancient court yard where they stood,
looking as they did on to the old one
storied house, Scared by the passage Of
centuries Of telnpestuous weather. Some
such idea seemed to strike Mr.. Cardus as he
closed the door behind him preparatory to
crossing the court yard
"Queer contrast" he muttered to himself;
every queer. Something like that between
Reginald Carlus, Esquire, Misanthrope of
Dum's Ness, and Mr. Reginald Cardus,
solicitor, chairman of the Stokesly board of
guardians bailif of Kesterwick, etc And yet
in both cases they are part of the same estab-
lisllment. Case of old and new style"
Mr.. Cardus did not make his way straight
to the Office. He struck Off to the right and
entered the long line of glass houses, walking
up from house to house till he reached the
partition where the temperate sorts were
placed to bloom, and which was connected
with his office by glass door. Through this
1.gf l,., oil bal ilyA ct.. h.
reached the door, where he paused to observe
u large, coarse man who was standing at the
far end of the room, looking out intently on
tie court yard.
"Ah, my friend" he said to himself, $50
the shoe is beginning to pinch. Well, it is
time" Then he pushed the door softly open,
passed into the room with the same cat like
step closed it, and seating himself at his
writing table, took up pen. Apparently the
couI SO looking man at the window was too
much absorbed ut his own thoughts to hear
him, for he still stood staring into space.
swell, Mr.. de Talor," said the lawyer pres
emily in his soft, jerky voice, II am at your
service"
Tie person addressed started violently and
turned sharply round. "Good heavens, Car
dus how did you get I'M"
Through the door, of course; do you sup
pose | came down the chimneyp
dts very strange Cardus, but l never
'eard you come. You've given me quite a
START
Mr.. Cardus laughed, hard little laugh
"You were too much occupied with your own
thoughts Mr.. de Tailor. l fear that they are
not pleasant ones. Can help youi"
Mr.. Carius ross to show his client to the
door.
On the further side of the passage was
door, with glass top to it, which gave
on to a room furnished after the ordinary
fashion Of a clerks office. Opposite this door
Mr., de Tailor stopped to look at man who
was within sitting at table writing. The
man was old, of large size, and very power
fully built, and dressed with extreme neat
ness in hunting costume-boots, breeches,
spurs and all. Over his large head grew
tufts of coarse gray hair which hung down
in disheveled locks about his face, giving him
wild appearance, that was added to by
curious distortion of the mouth His left
arm, too, hung almost helpless by his side.
Mr.. Cardus laughed as he followed his Wis
itors gaze. "A curious sort of clerk, eh!" he
said. Mad, dumb and half paralyzed-not
many lawyers could show such another"
Mr., de Tailor glanced at the object of their
observation uneasily.
"If he's SO mad, how can he do clerks
work." he asked.
"oh, he's only mad in a way; he copies
beautifully"
"He has quite lost his memory, supposeln
said De Tailor, with another uneasy glance.
"Yes," answered Mr.. Cardus, with a smile,
"he has, Perhaps it is as well. He remem-
bers nothing now but his delusions."
Mr. de Tailor looked relieved. He has been
with you many years now, hasn't he, Cardusi"
"Yes great many"
"Why did you bring him ere at alll"
"Did never tell you the storyi Then if
you care to step back into my Office / will. 1t
is not a long one. You remember when our
friend'-he nodded toward the ofilce-"kept
the hounds, and they used to call him hard
riding AtterleighF"
"Yes remember, and ruined himself over
them like fool"
"And of course you remember Mary After
leigh, his daughter, whom we were all in love
with when we were youngp
Mr.. de Talor's broad cheek took a deeper
shade of crimson as he nodded assent
"Then," went OIL Mr., Cardus, in voice
meant to be indifferent, but which now again
gave traces of emotion, "you would also re-
member that l was the fortunate man, and
was, with her fathers consent, engaged TO be
married to Mary Atterleigh SO soon as could
show him that my income reached Il certain
sum-" Here Mr.. Cardus paused n moment,
and then continued; "But | had to go TO
America about the great Norwich divorce
case, and it was long job, and travelling
was slow then. When | got back Mary was
married to man called Jones-a friend Of
yours, Mr. de Tailor. He was staying at your
house, Ceswick's Ness, when he mot her But
perhaps you are better acquainted with that
part of the story than am"
Mr.. de Tailor was looking very uneasy again
now.
"No, know nothing about it, Jones fell
in love with her like the rest, and the next
heard of it was that they were to be married.
1t was rather rough on you, Ell, Cardusl but,
Lord, you shouldn't have been fool enough to
trust herr
Mr. Cardus smiled bitter smile. "Yes, it
was little rough, but that has nothing to
do with my story, The marriage did not
turn out well, Il curious fatality pursued all
who had had any hand in it. Mary had two
children; and then did the best thing she
could do-died of shame and sorrow Jones'
who was rich, went fraudulently bankrupt,
and ended by committing suicide Hard Rid
ing Atterleigh hourished for awhile, and then
lost his money in horses and a ship building
speculation, and got a paralytic stroke that
took away all his speech and most of his rea-
son. Then brought him here TO save him
from the mad house"
"That was kind Of you, Cardusn
''Oh, no, lie - worth his keep, aud besides
he Is poor Mrys father. lie is under the
fixed impression That ann the devil; but that